beta-endorphin and Back-Pain

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of calcitonin on beta-endorphin levels in female patients experiencing back pain associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis. The secondary purpose was to assess the pain and quality of life in these patients. There were 30 patients with a mean age of 58.2+/-5.4 years in the treatment group and 26 patients with a mean age of 58.8+/-5.2 years in the placebo group in this randomized, placebo-controlled study. The patients subcutaneously received 100 IU salmon calcitonin or placebo injections and 1,000 mg elementary calcium for 2 weeks. Baseline plasma beta-endorphin levels were measured and repeated after 2 weeks. Patients' pain and quality of life (QOL) were evaluated by using the Visual Analogue Scale, Modified Face Scale, Beck Depression Index, and Nottingham Health Profile. Patients' global assessment of disease activity was also performed at baseline and at the end of the first and second week. We found that plasma beta-endorphin levels in the treatment group were significantly higher than the placebo group at the end of the second week (p<0.001). Although pain and QOL scores were improved at the end of the second week in both groups (p<0.05), the improvement in the treatment group was more significant when compared with the placebo group (p<0.05). Therefore, calcitonin is an analgesic agent, as it increases the plasma beta-endorphin levels in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis, which consequently improves QOL.

Topics: Aged; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Bone Density; Bone Density Conservation Agents; Calcitonin; Female; Humans; Injections, Subcutaneous; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Placebos; Quality of Life; Single-Blind Method

We measured beta-endorphin concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and mitogen-induced T-lymphocyte proliferation in patient who underwent treatment with traditional acupuncture. Traditional acupuncture increased both the concentrations of the opioid in the immune cells and lymphocyte proliferation. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that traditional acupuncture modulates immune responses in man.

Topics: Acupuncture Analgesia; Adult; Aged; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Female; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Neutrophils; Radioimmunoassay

The purpose of this study was to evaluate pain scores and plasma beta-endorphin levels following a single spinal adjustive manipulation in subjects with acute low back pain. Eighteen subjects were randomly assigned to either a control group, which received no treatment; a sham group, which received only light physical contact (touch); or an experimental group, which received an adjustive manipulation at a specific lumbar segment. Following a standard protocol, all subjects were administered visual analog pain scales and venous blood was drawn 5 min prior to, 5 min after, and 30 min after intervention. Analysis of the pain scores indicated that there was a slight, but significant, reduction of pain in the experimental group, but no similar reduction in the control or sham groups. Furthermore, this reduction of pain in the experimental group was not accompanied any significant change in the plasma beta-endorphin concentration.

Topics: Adult; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Chiropractic; Female; Humans; Male; Manipulation, Orthopedic; Middle Aged; Pain Measurement

Doxepin and desipramine at final doses of 188 and 173 mg/day, respectively, were compared in 36 volunteers with major affective or dysthymic disorder and chronic back pain. Both drugs produced significant decreases in depression, with an overall response rate of 70%; no significant difference was seen between groups. Pain ratings also decreased significantly in both groups (overall response rate = 50%); pain severity showed a better response to doxepin than to desipramine. While baseline pain, depression, and anxiety were correlated, treatment changes in these measures did not correlate. CSF beta-endorphin levels did not change with treatment. The usefulness of an antidepressant with anxiolytic properties, such as doxepin, is discussed.

Topics: Adult; Anxiety Disorders; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Chronic Disease; Clinical Trials as Topic; Depressive Disorder; Desipramine; Doxepin; Endorphins; Female; Helplessness, Learned; Humans; Male; Personality Inventory; Placebos; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Chronic Disease; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Electrodes, Implanted; Humans; Pain; Spinal Cord; Substance P; Time Factors

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) beta-endorphin concentrations were determined before and after treatment in 28 patients suffering chronic neuralgic low back pain/sciatica. Nine patients carried the additional diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Pain treatment was multimodal and resulted in variable pain reduction. CSF beta-endorphin concentrations spanned a wide range with no association to age, gender, pain ratings, depressive symptomatology, and drug intake. CSF beta-endorphin concentrations were not influenced by the presence of major depressive disorder and did not change with successful treatment of pain and resolution of depression.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Combined Modality Therapy; Depressive Disorder; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pain Measurement; Sciatica; Sick Role

Beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin immunoreactivity (BE/BLPH-IR) content was evaluated in the CSF of patients suffering by deafferentation pain syndromes. BE/BLPH-IR CSF concentrations of these patients were compared with those obtained in a group of patients affected by low back pain and in a control group without pain problems. No statistically significant variation in BE/BLPH-IR levels were found between controls and subjects with different types of chronic pain.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; beta-Lipotropin; Brachial Plexus; Extremities; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neuralgia; Pain; Radioimmunoassay; Syndrome

This study examines the possibility of a humorally mediated analgesic response to spinal manipulative therapy by determination of plasma levels of beta-endorphin, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and cortisol before and after intervention. Forty male subjects (20 symptomatic, 20 asymptomatic) were allocated into four equal groups. Two treatment groups were given spinal manipulative therapy, and two groups underwent a sham procedure. Blood samples were taken via indwelling butterfly needles pre- and postintervention in all four groups, and levels of immunoreactive ACTH, immunoreactive beta-endorphin, and cortisol determined by radioimmunoassay. No differences in ACTH or beta-endorphin were found between sham and treated groups, or between pre- and postintervention in any group; cortisol levels fell over the course of the study in all groups. The findings thus appear to exclude a humoral role for beta-endorphin in mediating the analgesic response to spinal manipulative therapy; in addition, they suggest that such therapy is not a stressor that activates the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Topics: Adolescent; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Adult; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Chiropractic; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Male; Neck; Radioimmunoassay; Spine; Thorax

Topics: Acupuncture Therapy; Adult; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Endorphins; Female; Humans; Lumbosacral Region; Male; Middle Aged

Topics: Adult; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Endorphins; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation